The Moon also appears the other way around, and its phases fill up from left to right, instead of right to left as they do in the north. Next, from Orion to the Teapot to the Gemini twins, the seasonal star patterns northern observers are most familiar with appear flipped upside down when viewed in southern skies. The celestial poles shift over time, so eventually there will be a "South Star," but not at the moment. To start with, there's no counterpart to the North Star for the Southern Hemisphere. There are some key differences between the night sky in the Southern Hemisphere, compared to the North. It'll disappear from evening skies by late July, reappearing in the eastern sky about a month later as a morning object. That begins to change in May, as the brilliant planet reaches its highest point in the western sky, and starts trending lower as we move into June. Venus has been rising higher in the sky each evening for the past few months. The Moon sits between the two planets on the 23rd. Next, following sunset on May 22nd through the 24th, the Moon, Venus, and Mars form a close grouping in the west. Now, this will be quite low in the sky, so you'll need a clear view of the horizon to observe it, and a pair of binoculars will be a big help as the sky begins to brighten. Jupiter will start to emerge from behind the Moon as the Sun comes up. And from the western states, Jupiter will actually be behind the Moon, in occultation, as the pair rise. states, you'll be able to observe Jupiter passing behind the Moon as the pair rise in morning twilight. and Canada, the planet Jupiter will appear very close to the Moon. Then on May 17th, a slim crescent moon rises about an hour before the Sun,Īnd from much of the U.S. Find them together in the southeast in the couple of hours before sunrise. On the morning of May 13th, find the planet Saturn rising together with a third-quarter (or half-full) moon. What's Up for May? Planets strike a pose with the Moon, we reach "peak Venus," and what's different about the skies of the Southern Hemisphere. May 22-24 – Following sunset on May 22-24, the Moon, Venus, and Mars form a close grouping in the west. states, observers will be able to see Jupiter passing behind the Moon as the pair rise in morning twilight. May 17 – A slim crescent moon rises about an hour before the Sun, with Jupiter quite closeby, for much of the U.S. May 13 – Find the planet Saturn rising together with a third-quarter (or half-full) moon in the southeast in the couple of hours before sunrise. It disappears from evening skies by late July, and reappears in the morning sky about a month later. Plus, what makes the Southern Hemisphere sky unique?Īll month – A post-sunset fixture since the beginning of the year, Venus reaches its highest point in the evening sky in May, and begins trending lower each evening, heading into June. skies, and the Moon occults Jupiter for the Western U.S.
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